The study, conducted by the city of Rensselaer and the Capital District Transportation Committee, began in the summer of 2022 and examined existing travel conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers as well as previous studies and public input, a release from CDTC Thursday said. The study is part of CDTC’s Unified Planning Work Program, which provides funds for local government to plan community-based transportation and land use.
“The city’s very interested in creating a more walkable area there,” CDTC Executive Director Sandra Misiewicz said Saturday.
The area of study includes the city’s Hilton Center Brownfield Redevelopment Area and the proposed Rensselaer Riverwalk/RPI Trail. Nearby streets include Washington and Forbes Avenues.
Misiewicz said general recommendations include linking walking trails, providing safe access to the waterfront and developing more “complete streets” in the area — roads designed to accommodate multiple types of users with bike lanes, transit stops and improved sidewalks and crosswalks.
Plans to replace the Livingston Avenue bridge — a rail bridge which connects Albany and Rensselaer across the Hudson River — and restore its pedestrian and bike trail, could also be an opportunity to improve the waterfront, she said.
Some specific highlights of the study include improving access Hilton Park and its boat launch — accessible only by a hairpin turn off Forbes Avenue on Tracy Street — making Forbes Avenue a one-way road with a separate bike/pedestrian path, and adding curb extensions to the intersection at Washington Avenue to decrease pedestrian crossings.
What comes next will depend on what city government resolves to implement, Misiewicz said. Ketura Vics, city director of planning and development, expressed support of the study in Thursday’s statement.
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